The EnviroClub Awards have been adapted from a successful environmental awards program in the United Kingdom. In this initiative, clubs register environmentally sustainable activities, projects, programs and events and are encouraged to improve these through a series of awards, starting with a Bronze Award and moving towards Silver and Gold Awards. Individual Rotarians are also encouraged to be catalysts for environmental action in their communities.

Aims and objectives

The aim of these awards is to encourage Rotary, Rotaract or Interact clubs in the District to undertaken environmental initiatives and, by publicly presenting the Awards, encourage other clubs to explore their own environmental initiatives. By initiatives, we mean activities, events, projects or programs.

The objectives are to:

• give recognition to clubs for their existing environmentally sustainable initiatives
• encourage clubs to further develop these initiatives
• assist each club to develop new environmentally sustainable initiatives

Benefits of being an EnviroClub

• It will give recognition to your club for its existing environmental activities and the incentive to further develop these initiatives.
• Environmental sustainability is an important and current issue worldwide, affecting everyone. Being a recipient of EnviroClub Award may help to make your club more relevant to your members and better engage and retain members.
• Recognition of your environmental initiatives through the EnviroClub Award may also attract new members, increase income to your club through community grants and lead to new partnerships with Rotary clubs, businesses and community groups in your local community.

Three levels of the Awards

Bronze Award

This is the basic award, simply requiring a club to register its Environmental Sustainability Officer (DEO) and document its current and planned initiatives.

• Appoint a Club Environmental Sustainability Officer (ESO)
• Form a small committee or working group of 2 or 3+ members with the aim to meet formally or informally several times a year to review the environmental initiatives of the club and to consider future possible projects
• Have these projects or events recognised by the club Board and shared with the rest of the club members
• Once this has been achieved, submit an application for the Award to the DEO
• To retain the award, send an annual statement of environmentally sustainable projects or events to the DEO

Silver Award

To qualify for a Silver Award, a club will need to demonstrate that it is continuing with and improving an existing initiative and launching at least one new one.

• The Club ES Committee or working group meets either formally or informally several times a year and where possible includes other Club members in discussions of potential environmental projects.
• Launch a new major initiative or alternatively continue an existing major one and explore ways to increase its effectiveness
• Register the continued activity and the new environment initiative with the District Environment Officer.

Gold Award

A Gold Award signifies a significant commitment to the environment. To qualify for a Gold Award, a club will need to demonstrate its involvement in a minimum of TWO major projects in the Rotary year, at least one of which should involve young people.

Extend existing projects or develop new and innovative projects:

• in partnership with other clubs or cluster of clubs
• as part of a District Initiative
• involving the wider community, local schools, businesses or churches
• Make contact with local schools which already have environmental clubs, and if schools do not have them, encourage them to set up one

Application Process

• Applications can be made at any time in the Rotary year, but before 1 May, to allow time for processing prior to the District Changeover dinner.
• Complete the application form, available online or from the DEO, and forward to the DEO.

Assessment criteria

The awards assessment team will use the following criteria for the awards:Research, Club engagement and involvement, Effectiveness, Beneficiaries, Communication, Innovation, Lessons learnt. Keep in mind though that the standards required for the Silver and Gold Awards will be higher than those for the base level Bronze Award, the term initiative applies to any activity, project, project or event that your club proposes.

Contact

If you have any queries about the EnviroClub awards program, contact the District Environment Officer (DEO):

Patricia Armstrong

Chair District 9810 Sustainable Communities Committee
Mobile: 0419 381 790
Email: pat.arm@bigpond.net.au